CP+ 2018 Pentax Interview

Exclusive insights into the latest Pentax developments

By PF Staff in CP+ 2018 on Mar 6, 2018

We're happy to present our CP+ 2018 interview with Ricoh Imaging representatives about Pentax products and developments.  Most questions are answered in the video clip below, but the more technical questions that follow were answered off-camera.

Stay tuned for further commentary.

Additional Questions

Will the K-1 to K-1 II body upgrade also include the "improved AF algorithms" that are included in the K-1 II? 

Yes, once the K-1 upgrade service has been applied, the AF performance will be equal to the Pentax K-1 Mark II.

What are the improvements with the new AF algorithm on the K-1 II?

Mainly the tracking performance on moving subjects is improved. We were able to optimize the function of evaluating the subject acquired from the AE sensor (color information) and AF sensor (distance information), which resulted in improved the AF tracking performance. We've also been able to reduce unwanted focusing on the background for moving subjects. Additionally, optimizations have been made to improve focusing speed on lenses.

Can you elaborate, on a more technical level, how the Image Accelerator chip works?

The accelerator unit optimally processes the signal from the image sensor and conveys it to the PRIME IV engine where the RAW data is created. Because of this hardware change, our engineers redesigned the imaging algorithm from ISO 100 to 819200. The advantage of this not only applies to the highest ISO, but also the wider ISO range.

What would you say defines a "Pentaxian"?

Though there's no specific definition for "Pentaxian", we think those who use and support Pentax are Pentaxians.

Many are worried about Pentax's future direction given the slow rate of news/announcements in 2017. Can you do more to engage users and what would be the direction you'd take? |
(NOTE: This was partly answered in the video; this is a followup answer) 

We recognize that amount of the information we share regarding the service & support such as firmware updates differs depending on the area. We are now setting up new internal structure to activate information sharing activities as much as possible with our overseas customers by utilizing SNS etc.

Are you working to improve physical store presence in markets outside of Japan?

Although presence differs from one market to the other, we would like to enhance partnerships with dealers whom actively handle Pentax such as Images Photo in France.

Some users have reported sudden complete failure of the K-3. The fix for this was replacement of the main board at a service center. The cause was internal short circuit. Are you aware of this issue in a certain batch of K-3's?

We have confirmed by a report from the service department that there were a couple of similar issues, but not particular on a specific production lot of the K-3. We will continuously improve the quality of the product anyway.

Considering the trouble Ricoh is having in India, will Ricoh continue to sell Pentax cameras in India?

Yes. We will continue to sell Pentax cameras in India.

How would you compare the performance of hand-held pixel shift II with pixel shift on a tripod?

Pixel shift on a tripod is more effective in getting higher definition, low noise, and false-color-free images than Dynamic Pixel Shift.